China Conducts Live-Fire Naval Drill Near Japan’s Okinotori Island Amid Joint Operation With Russia

China conducted a live-fire naval exercise near Japan’s remote Okinotori Island over the weekend while operating alongside Russian warships, marking another sign of expanding military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow in waters close to Japan.

According to Japan’s Joint Staff, the Maritime Self-Defense Force detected four naval vessels sailing northeast about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southwest of Okinotori Island at around 2 a.m. on July 19. The group included a Chinese Renhai-class guided-missile destroyer, a Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer, a Fuchi-class replenishment ship, and a Russian Steregushchiy-class frigate.

Japanese military officials later confirmed that the Chinese Luyang III-class destroyer carried out a live-fire drill roughly 180 kilometers southwest of Okinotori Island. The Defense Ministry said a Japanese destroyer monitored the vessels and collected intelligence throughout the operation.

A spokesperson for Japan’s Joint Staff said this was the first time Tokyo had publicly disclosed a Chinese live-fire exercise within Japan’s claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, the official also noted that the activity did not violate international law.

The same Chinese and Russian vessels had previously been tracked passing south through the waters between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island on July 16 before continuing toward the area near Okinotori.

The waters surrounding Okinotori remain a point of disagreement between Beijing and Tokyo. Japan considers Okinotori an island that generates an exclusive economic zone under international law, while China argues that it is merely a reef and therefore cannot legally support an EEZ claim.

China and Russia have significantly expanded joint naval and air operations around Japan in recent years, increasing pressure on Tokyo’s defense posture. In response, Japan has stepped up surveillance, intelligence gathering, and military deployments across its southwestern island chain as regional security concerns continue to grow amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific.